Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-31
IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTEND AID.
The Vernon Generally Pronounced an UnSea-
worthy Boat

MILwAUKEE, October 3O.-The pasSen'
ger propeller Vernon was wrecked in the
terrible gale that swept Lake Michigan
Yesterday, and her entire crew of twenty
two persons and the passengers number
unknown, are supposed to have been lost
1t involves a greater loss OF life than any oI
the previous disasters ON the lake this sea
son, not excepting the propeller Champlain,
which burned early in the spring off Char
levoix, drowning twenty-four persons. A
most singular coincidence IS that the
vernon was the vessel which took the
place OF the Champlain in the Northern
Michigan line, aud had only been on the
line since August l. She was one OF the
finest furnished passenger boats on the
lakes, and had . valuation OF SIS, 900,
Captain Moran, of the steamship Superior,
which arrived here at $50 o'clock last
night, brought the first news of the
wreck.
ITO pass one man on a raft appealing fol
our help, another dying from exposure,
and a small boat in which we could see
one women and three men, one OF the lat
ter hailing with a coat stuck up on hi>
oar, all
BEING TOSSED ABOUT
in q terrible sea without being able tC
render them any assistance was heartrend'
iug in the extreme" said Capt. Moran
1--WE were also fighting for our lives, oul
steamer having become disabled i'll the
sea. With the exception OF the cooks, ouI
entire crew OF sixteen men, even to tho
engineer. were down below, some Of then
steering the vessel with IA temporary tackle
which we had rugged up, while tht
others were trying to repair the break,
Our tilller had become disconnected
from the rudder post, leaving us at the
mercy of the seas until we rugged tempo
rary tackle. With this we managed tC
keep our vessel out of the trough Of the
seas and keep her before the gale. 1t was
three hours before We had made repairs sc
that we
HANDLE OURSELVES,
and then we were out OF sight of the ship
wrecked men.
The cooks on deck were the first to cal
our attention TO the wreckaSe. 1t WA
about 10 o'clock this morning when of
Two Rivers, some miles out in Lake Michl
.an, that we passed through some lumber
tye miles further on We passed lot o
barrels, then encountered wreckage fO
some distance. Among it was furniture
and bed clothing, besides life pre-
servers here and there. One cool
SAID he counted thirteen life preservers
and know that it must have been pas
senger boat to carry so many. We passed
80 near some of the life preserVers tina
they might have been picked up had tn
COOKS used pike pole. l was only OF
deck part OF the time, and no others
the crew came up, as they had
ALL THEY COULD DO
where the were.
When about six miles east northeast
Manltowac the cook who had been keep
1uy q lookout called me on deck with III,
Information that q raft could be seen witt
a man on il. As | went on deck cOult
plainly see the man waving his hand Il
as. He was standing upright on the raft
which was about halt mile between III
and the shore, and the sea wa
washing over it. 1t tappeared about twely
feet square and it might be the top OF {
cabin. Poor fellow, he must have though
1t cruel OF us to pass!by and leave him ther
10 suffer. Ten minutes later We sighted
another raft also about a half mile Insid
ot Us. Ii was much smaller apparently
not more than four by eight feet and looke'
IKE piece OF bulwark. On 1t was lynn
a man who, although still alive, probaDl.
did not discern us, aS be
WAS TOO FAR GONE.
We could see him dip bis head As hls iran
IIttle float was tossed about III the SEA, "a
though he WAS about dead.
We saw a yawl, with three men ant
one woman in II, little further soutn
There may, however, have been more
them lying down in the boat, the three !"
saw being on the seats. One OF tine mel
Was standing up holding his oar, with III
coat swinging 10 attract atten
ton. Their hearts must nav
been gladdened in their expectations
nelp from us. How inhuman they mus
nave thought US when We passed them by
and within a mile too, without even turn
ing our vessel towards them, but with on
star steering gear disabled a. 1t was W
could not steer our vessel, and there Wa
nothing for us to do but hope that som
of the vessels coming up the lake astern q
US might discover them and
PICK THEM UP.
There is q possibility that large thret
mast schooner coming uD the lake after u
may have picked up the persons In IN
boat. She was three or four miles aster
of US, and i could see through the glas
that she was bearing towards them. Bu
she NAV have been bound for Malntowa
and could have passed without seeing them
There was little possibility that she coul
have taken the men off the RATS, and 1t
even doubtful if she could pick up tn
yawl in such sea. II she could get clos
enough to throw q line as she scudded by
and they held on to it, there ought to DC
chance for them TO be saved
1t was rs heavy a sea as | have eXper
enced in all my life on the lakes. Just I
give you an idea of it, the Sandusky
which we had in tow, sometimes burie
herself so that only half of her masts coui
be seen. Once she stayed under so Ion
that thought she was gone. We WI
make repairs here and 20 on to Chicago.
PILOT HOUSE FOUND.